Golden Heart - 3. Chapter 3 - Ave Maria

Christmas had come and past, but it was the first time Max had really celebrated it in years. Once their friends had gone home, he and Aaron had gone in the backyard. There was a bench close to the edge of the garden, it was under the trees and near a small pond, though said pond was frozen over. They had cleared the snow off and had sat down. Even though the cold seeped through their clothes, they had stayed there for quite some time, talking and kissing. Sally had come to get them when lunch was ready.

They had spent the afternoon in Max’s library. Aaron had brought his PC and had played a video game while Max had read. They had sat very close to each other, and even though they hadn’t been doing the same thing, they could feel the other’s presence and that in itself was the best thing in the world. Max’s eyes had gotten tired after a while, and he had set his book down. Seeing this, Aaron had closed his PC. No words were ever needed, they had just cuddled. Max relished these special moments. Aaron’s arms felt strong, warm and safe, and he couldn’t wish for anything more.

“Best Christmas ever,” had whispered Aaron in Max’s ear.

“Best Christmas ever,” Max had repeated before kissing Aaron.

They had fallen asleep in the warm covers of the couch, only to wake up for dinner time. Unfortunately, Aaron had to go home with his mom that night, and Max was with his aunt for the rest of the evening. It was a little awkward at first. Both of them had trouble starting a good conversation, as both were so similar in their way of acting. Max had finally proposed they watch a little TV, not that he found TV very enjoyable, but he couldn’t think of anything else at the time. Elizabeth had probably thought the same thing but hadn’t argued, better a little TV than awkward silence… They had flicked on to the Discovery Channel, and they had watched a wild life documentary in silence. Since the day had been emotionally intense, Max was quite tired, and unconsciously he had started to drift off. His head had fallen on his aunt’s shoulder. Since she hadn’t said anything he had stayed like that for the rest of the show. When it had been over, he turned off the TV, and did something that probably finished their reconciliation. Almost by reflex because of Sally, he had kissed his aunt goodnight. He hadn’t even realized it until he had turned at the door way to see her with a hand pressed where he had kissed her cheek, a silent tear rolling down her face.

“Goodnight Max,” she had said sweetly with a smile.

It could have been any normal morning, but fate had decided otherwise.

Max slept well, though he would have slept better if Aaron had been there. He had woken up at 10, well rested and happy. He had taken a hot shower, though it wasn’t as fun without Aaron… He had made himself some breakfast, and had gone back to his library to read. He had exchanged a few love words with Aaron, and Alice had called him to thank him for everything and just chat for a while. He had been on his way to the kitchen when the doorbell had rung.

“Who could that be…” he thought as he headed towards the front door. He also saw his aunt going in the same direction, a frown also on her face. They weren’t expecting anyone. Max noticed she had a glass in her hands (she liked having a glass of water at her bedside in case she got thirsty at night, something Max never understood, he never woke in the middle of the night).He went to open the door.

“Hello?” He said to the lady standing there.

“Hi, I’m sorry to pop up like this but… would you by any chance be Maximilian Campbell?”

“Yes that’s me, but please come inside, it’s freezing outside,” the woman looked normal enough and it was really cold!

“Thank you,” she stepped in.

Max was about to ask her a question when he heard the sound of glass shattering. He quickly turned his head towards his aunt. She was pale white, and the glass she had held was in pieces at her feet.

“Rose?” she asked incredulously.

Max recognized his mother’s name, though he hadn’t heard it very often… He looked between his aunt, whose eyes were wide, and the woman who had just came in. He had never seen his aunt speechless before, and while it was interesting, he was worried.

“Rose is that really you?” Elizabeth asked again.

“Are you Elizabeth Campbell?”

“Y-Yes.”

“It wasn’t easy finding you two.”

“What do you mean?” Max was completely lost now.

“I have spent the last six years trying to find you.”

“Ma’am I don’t understand, who are you?”

“I’m sorry, this is just surreal after all this time,” she looked very nervous. “My name is Marie. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She took Max’s hand and put it in her own hands.

“I’m your mother’s twin sister,” she had hesitated before saying the words.

Max’s head swirled with conflicting emotions. He was happy, sad, angry, scared all of it at the same time. Thoughts started but didn’t finish. He just started at this lady, this lady claiming to be his mother’s twin sister. He didn’t know his family very well, but he was sure that he had no other aunt than Elizabeth.

“I know this may be hard to believe, but…”

“We should go sit down,” Max finally managed.

He showed Marie the way, while he pushed his Elizabeth there as well, as she was still in a state of shock. They all sat down, but Max couldn’t stay still. He got up and went in the kitchen to turn the kettle on and prepared tea. He had to keep his mind and hands busy. He returned with a steaming pot and three cups. Neither of them had moved during his absence.

“You look like her so much…” Elizabeth whispered, still half dazed.

“I-I-I don’t understand, not that I think you are lying or anything, it’s just…”

“I’m guessing neither of you knew.”

“Indeed, could you please…” Max didn’t need to finish, Marie nodded that she understood.

“I’m not exactly sure myself, but this is what I understood from my parents. My parents never were able to have kids, and they decided that they wanted to adopt. They took their time to choose, but they finally adopted me, I was not even one year old at the time. From what they were told, my biological parents had been very poor, and hadn’t expected twins. When Rose and I came into this world, they could only keep one of us. They had to let one go, I can’t imagine how hard that must have been… I was raised by the people I call my parents, and never knew that I wasn’t really their flesh and blood.

It was when I was 36 I spotted an anomaly in my medical record. I didn’t have the same blood type as my father or mother, though they were both O negative, which meant I should have been O negative as well. I confronted them, a little apprehensive to be honest, and they told me where I came from the same way I just have. They asked me to forgive them for not telling me sooner, they were afraid of losing their only daughter. Personally I just wish they had sooner, but I still love them, they are my parents they raised me.

Anyways, I started to dig in old records and files to try and trace back my biological family. I was very curious as I now knew that I had a twin sister. All the times I had felt incomplete in my childhood made sense! It took me 5 years to, in my free time, try to find Rose. I was crushed to find out that my biological parents had died in a car crash, and I was devastated when I learned that she was dead. I am so sorry Maximilian. You must have been very young.”

Max nodded, thanks to therapy and Aaron he could talk about it without having a mental breakdown now.

“But then I learned that she had had a child, a little boy named Maximilian. It took me another year to find you. It wasn’t easy as I had to trace back her wedding, then her husband and his own family, and here I am. I’m so sorry for intruding, it’s just when I finally got the last answer I needed yesterday, well it was Christmas! Literally and figuratively!” Marie finished, she had shed a few tears during her tale, but was now smiling.

Max was still trying to process what Marie had said, what his new aunt had said. He had another family somewhere. For some reason it made him feel lost. All the family he had ever known was Elizabeth, and here he learned that he had another aunt, another branch to his family tree that he had no idea was there. Without meaning to, he started crying, but he could not tell if it was tears of joy or not.

Elizabeth was also sobbing, and she got up and went over to Marie. She sat next to her and put a hand on her arm and said:

“Thank you.”

Max was more direct, he went to her a gently hugged her. Yes he was hugging a stranger. Maybe her story was one big lie, but at the same time it had to be true. Elizabeth had seen his mother’s ghost when she had first seen her, and he thought he recognized a voice, a voice that he thought he would never hear again: the same voice as Mom.